photo courtesy of UNHCR via flickr

Google has launched Person Finder, a way for loved ones to find each other in the aftermath of 2010’s Chile and Haiti earthquakes.

Indeed, traditional relief efforts in the form of medical care, shelter, food and water are invaluable, but Google has come up with a different kind of aid. The Person Finder tool, available both for Chile and for Haiti, allows people to either search for a missing person or to enter information about a person that others might be looking for.

According to Google, its engineers developed the program in less than 36 hours after the Haiti earthquake and quickly translated it to Spanish after the more recent earthquake in Chile. As of Tuesday, March 2, the page had 55,000 records and it continues to be hit with more and more entries each moment.

Photo courtesy of geek.com

The notes left by earthquake victims and loved ones run the gamut from devastating to hopeful:

“Hi, Dad. It’s your daughter Alicia. I’ve been looking for you for several days. I’m very worried for you. Please can you call me on my cellular … or send me a message. I’m waiting for word from you. Hugs.”

“Mom and Dad are fine and they are still in El Yeco. They’ve contacted us via email and they are doing as best they can. Their house is still intact, and they had lost electricity for 12 hours, I am assuming they have it back.”

Bringing families back together, reducing anxieties and spreading hope, Google’s People Finder certainly validates the recent nomination of the Internet for the Nobel Peace Prize.

March 4, 2010 by Annie
Tags: b-listed, blisted, breakthrough, Chile, Chile earthquake, gadgets for good, Google, Google Person Finder, Haiti, Haiti earthquake, Nobel Peace Prize